We may be having a very weird semester, but time hasn’t stopped. Your future is still coming—so how are you getting ready for it? In this post, I’m giving every high school class a to-do list for using your quarantine time to set up the most successful college process and transition possible. Tackle this list and you’ll have a leg up when things do get back to baseline.
Expert Guidance For Uncertain Times: FREE Webinars on Test Prep in the Time of Covid-19
We’re living in very uncertain times—Covid-19 is changing test prep, with new adjustments being announced every week, but it’s not changing the fact that college admissions deadlines are fast approaching! I can’t get hand sanitizer back on the shelves, but I CAN make sure you have all the information you need to navigate this uniquely challenging situation and stay on track to your dream school. So welcome to my webinar series—it’s the latest news, expert analysis, and the chance to ask me YOUR questions, and it’s ABSOLUTELY FREE.
Are SAT II Subject Tests DEAD?
SAT II Subject Tests are no longer a consistently required part of every college application—which means they might not have to be part of your testing timeline at all! But it also introduces a complicated decision: how do you decide if YOU should take SAT 2s? In this post, I’ll explain what factors make Subject Tests necessary, important, a good opportunity…or something you can skip.
How To Make Online Test Prep Work For You
Online education, distance learning, remote instruction—whatever you call it, it’s our new normal for right now. How will you make the switch without letting it derail your prep for ACTs, SATs, and even just your classes? For the last decade, I’ve been helping students in nine time zones across six continents get the scores they need to get into their dream schools—so let me explain.
Test Prep in the Time of Coronavirus: Advice From an Expert
The coronavirus pandemic is disrupting lives around the globe—and it’s also disrupting test prep and college admissions. In this post I’m passing you all the news you need and giving you my expert analysis of how it will affect your test prep and what you can do to stay ahead of the curve.
ACT Section Retesting: What You Need To Know
The rules for ACT retesting have changed—and it’s major! Let me walk you through what’s changing and when—and what it means for your testing timeline and strategy.
Sticking To Your Test Prep Plan Through The Winter Of Your Test Prep Discontent
This is the time of year where people start changing up their test prep plans—or just bailing out on them altogether. I’ve been talking my students through this “winter of their test prep discontent” for more than a decade, and across to the other side to where the results they need lie. In this post, I’m doing the same for you.
ACT vs SAT I vs SAT II: What's the Difference?
We may be test ninjas here at Ivy Lounge, but everyone has to start with the basics! This post will get you up to speed on the crucial foundational knowledge about the ACT, SAT I, and SAT II—so you can get on your way to an overall testing strategy!
2019-2020 SAT and ACT Test Dates
Wondering what the full schedule of test dates looks like for the SAT, SAT II Subject Tests, and ACT in 2019-2020? Wonder no longer.
Adversity Score No More: Meet the SAT "Landscape"!
Worried about the new SAT Adversity Score and how it affects your testing strategy? Well, here’s an update you need: it’s been replaced by a new College Board innovation that affects your college applications, but differently. Meet the Landscape…and let me brief you on what it is and what it means for you.
Summer's Over: It's Time to Get Serious About Studying Again
No matter what year you are in high school, if you're anything like my students, now is the time for a wake-up call: summer vacation is over...it's time to get serious about testing and the college process again! I'm breaking down the year ahead for every grade level!
What's New On The Common App 2019-2020
The Common App makes changes every year—some big, some small. This year, several of those changes affect user experience. Let me fill you in on what’s changing for the 2019-2020 application year and what’s staying the same—and then I’ll walk you through the Common App step by step!
What's the SAT Adversity Score?
If you follow testing and college-process news, you may have heard of the SAT’s new “Adversity Score.” But what is it, really? And how will it affect YOUR testing strategy? I’m breaking it down for you.
Kristina's Complete Guide To Subject Tests: How To Ace Your SAT IIs
This post is a complete guide to all of the resources I’ve got to help you ace your SAT II Subject Tests—from strategy to crucial content!
Is the College Board Going Down?
The College Board has had some high-profile problems in the last couple of years. So is this it for the SAT (and the SAT IIs…and AP exams…)? In my expert opinion, not even close—here’s why.
Understanding The Curve: Don't Pray For An Easy Test
Think an easy test means you can expect the score you want? Not necessarily. In fact, an easy test can make it harder to get the score you need! Let me explain.
The UPDATED Ivy Lounge Common App Resource Library
It’s time to get started on that Common App. Let me walk you through it from the very beginning: this updated roundup of my expert advice will take you from freaked out to finished!
The ACT’s New Extended Time Policies: What You Need To Know
The ACT is changing its policy on timing for National Extended Time students. I’m walking you through exactly what this means for you if it affects you—how it changes your test day and whether it changes your test choice.
Testing Timelines When You're Applying Early
Planning on applying early? You need to make a plan—like, today. Here are the guidelines and information you need!
So You Skipped the June SAT...Now What?
The June SAT date used to be an absolute must-take. New test dates mean that’s not true anymore…for SOME students. Which students have my blessing to skip the June SAT, and what should you do if you’ve already chosen to sit it out? I’m breaking it down.
